Jim's body has been found...

Hallelujah.  Our prayers have been answered!  In response to the powerful prayers for Jim on Good Friday, his remains were found midday on Saturday.  Don Newton found Jim's body in a remote section of Woods Canyon.  While the Yavapai Sheriff's office still considers the body a John Doe, Karen was able to identify his wedding ring.

Nearly 6 months have past since his disappearance and while questions still remain, we rejoice that dad's body was intact, that the medical examiner will be able to answer many of those questions, and that we will be able to have a memorial service to celebrate his life soon.

Jim Schwartz.  You are are an amazing man and you were loved by more people than you realize.  We pray that you passed from this earth in peace...surrounded by the beauty of the desert.

We will continue to use Facebook and the FJS blog to keep everyone updated.  Please know that despite the grief, as a family we are joyful as well.  We love you all and thank you for all of your support.

AZ Central Channel 12 News Report

Article in the AZ Daily Sun: Page man found, Sedona pastor still missing

To See the Article

Page man found, Sedona pastor still missing

from February 2, 2012 check it out here:

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/page-man-found-sedona-pastor-still-missing/article_9d2c1460-4d64-11e1-9801-001871e3ce6c.html

PRAYER SERVICE AND VIGIL FOR JIM SCHWARTZ AND FAMILY FRIDAY JAN. 27th

To family and friends of Find Jim Schwartz:
Some awesome new friends at Rock of Ages Lutheran Church here in Sedona are hosting a prayer service, all day prayer room, and prayer vigil this Friday 1/27 for husband and father, Jim Schwartz, and family. The invitation is for all in Sedona and the Verde Valley to participate in one way or another, as well as for all who gather frequently here in the Facebook medium or blog. Please check out this flyer for details and stay tuned for how you can sign up for a one hour block during the 24-hour prayer vigil (6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday). We know so many people have kept us in your prayers, and for that we are so grateful. We sense this deeply. This Friday offers us all an opportunity for concentrated prayer time together. Photos and information will be shared along with prayer and praise suggestions.

RED ROCK NEWS Article from Wednesday, November 23, 2011. That was DAY 36

Schwartz Family Struggles While Search Continues For Father, Jim

Written by Christopher Fox Graham

Photo courtesy of the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office/Susan Bolling Photography. The Rev. Jim Schwartz, the 66-year-old former pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, was last seen by his wife at their Village of Oak Creek home at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 19. If you have seen him, contact YCSO at (928) 771-3260 with any information. After a month, the Rev. Jim Schwartz is still missing. Schwartz, the 66-year-old former pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, was last seen by his wife at their Village of Oak Creek home at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 19. Schwartz’s son, Jeremiah, said a neighbor reportedly saw his father halfway between home and the Kel Fox Trailhead later that morning. Where Jim Schwartz went afterward, and his current whereabouts, are unknown. After an intense few weeks of searches around the Village, Jeremiah Schwartz said the family was forced to scale back the search. “We’re not organizing large search efforts on a day-to-day basis,” Schwartz said. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Forest Patrol Unit joined the search, with deputies deploying search dogs and Guardian Air conducting a helicopter flyover on Oct. 21. Schwartz said bloodhounds from Arizona Search Track & Rescue seemed to indicate a scent of Jim Schwartz on the Kel Fox Trail. The initial outpouring of community support immediately after the disappearance leads Jeremiah Schwartz to believe they have effectively combed almost everywhere in a 5-mile radius and many areas within a 10-mile radius. The family is torn, struggling with the possibility he may have suffered a diabetic episode — he is diabetic but not insulin-dependent. He takes maintenance medication but it is unknown if he had any with him. Yet, the family still holds on to hope he is alive somewhere else in the Verde Valley or has left the area, possibly by hitchhiking. Jeremiah Schwartz said when his father was a pastor in Minnesota, he led large youth groups on long, seven- to 10-day hikes through the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. Those hikes were some of his father’s fondest memories. In his retirement, Jim Schwartz expressed desire to go on long, overnight hikes. He purchased backpacks Oct. 15, but they are still at home, Jeremiah Schwartz said.  Jim Schwartz likely had a tarp and a book about Arizona native plants with him, Jeremiah Schwartz said. He likely otherwise left home with minimal gear. Find the Rev. Jim Schwartz The Rev. Jim Schwartz is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds and has graying brown hair. According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Schwartz may have been wearing a black T-shirt, light gray fleece pullover, khaki hiking pants with zip-off legs, navy blue waterproof jacket, brown Hi-Tec hiking boots, and a khaki brown hiking hat with LED lights. He was likely in possession of a black JanSport backpack probably containing some survival items including an orange tarp, compass, flashlight, an native plant book and possibly water purification tablets. In case Jim Schwartz did leave the area, Jeremiah Schwartz said the family is spreading the word via media outlets and law enforcement agencies hoping searchers can find someone who may have seen him. Schwartz said his father expressed an interest in working with Mexican immigrants in Arizona border cities or other border states. YCSO spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn stated in a press release a man matching Jim Schwartz’ description was seen in downtown Prescott on Oct. 22 and another sighting Oct. 27 reportedly placed him in Payson, but none of these leads could be verified. Jeremiah Schwartz said unconfirmed reports have led some to mistakenly believe his father was found, and they have taken down flyers. The family is struggling to continue awareness Jim Schwartz is still missing. The family maintains the blog Find Jim Schwartz and a Facebook page. Family members are also hiking around the Village and staying alert to signs of where Schwartz might be or have been. Schwartz is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds and has graying brown hair. According to YCSO, Schwartz may have been wearing a black T-shirt, light gray fleece pullover — not a jacket as previously reported— khaki hiking pants with zip-off legs, navy blue waterproof jacket, brown Hi-Tec hiking boots, and a khaki brown hiking hat with LED lights. He was likely in possession of a black JanSport backpack probably containing some survival items including an orange tarp, compass, flashlight, an native plant book and possibly water purification tablets. To date there has been no activity involving any of Schwartz’s bank or credit accounts since Oct. 19. “He brought no money as far as we know,” Jeremiah Schwartz said. Contact YCSO at (928) 771-3260 with any information.

Yesterday marked Four Weeks Since Pastor Jim's Disappearance from his home in Village of Oak Creek/Sedona Area on Wednesday October 19th, 2011.

It's amazing how much can change in 12 short weeks. 

12 weeks ago we were celebrating your retirement and sharing dreams for your new lifestyle, excited to hear about all of your plans after your years of service to the Lutheran Church. 

We miss and love you dad...

DAY 26. Where Is Jim Schwartz?

Today's story in the Verde Independent:

http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=44766&TM=38359.39


Yesterday we posted new flyers in ZipLock Bags at major trailheads in the area just in time! It's rainy and dreary in Sedona Today...

Now we are off to church with a string of Paper Cranes to hang!

A crisis in review. The search continues...

It is so hard to put the last 12 days into words, but since we started this blog half way into the search, I thought I would update it a bit with the backstory for anyone interested that does not have facebook.

Wed 10/19- Jim goes missing and his disappearance is reported to the Yavapai Sheriff's office

Thurs 10/20- One search and rescue officer begins searching a trail behind the house in the Village of Oak Creek.  This is a trail that is very close and very familiar to my father.  Today the kids arrive as well to join in the search efforts.

Friday 10/21- Our first 7am Ranger Station meeting.  We have an amazing group of volunteers eager to help.  Simultaneously the YCSO (yavapai county sheriff's office) sends out a team of air scent dogs and a helicpoter to canvas the same area as the day before.  In order to keep that area freed up for the dogs, we mobilize volunteers into our second choice spot where we think dad might go.  In addition we send out people to hand out fliers, canvas neighborhoods and make phone calls. 

The love starts pouring in...and so does the food.  THANK YOU to all who have kept us well fed during this crisis.

Saturday 10/22-  YCSO SAR calls off the search.  We are completely on our own in the Search and Rescue department.  At this point the Sheriff's office can only follow leads brought in by the public unless something concrete is discovered.  They do not have the funds to help us search the desert.  7am Ranger station meetings continue, more groups are mobilized into areas we believe dad could be, or could have traveled through.

Friday 10/21-Saturday 10/29 all blur together. 

7am Ranger station meetings continue, to try to organize and mobilize volunteers.  We continue to have the amazing support of family, friends,  neighbors, community members and our church family.  Ladies from the church are teaming up with neighbors to man the phones, shop, cook, find housing for out of town volunteers and lift our spirits.  Men and women alike from the church and community are out combing the desert, family and friends fly/drive/make their way to Sedona to join the cause.  Plane and helicpoter pilots donate time for air searches, friends with 4WD and ATV's mobilize, people with horses show up to help, AZSTAR (AZ search, track and rescue) bring various dog teams up from the valley, AZ search and response members also volunteer to mobilize a dog team, friends mail in their personal GPS and radio equipment to help us organize more efficiently.   Red tape is put up and the volunteers do their best to tear it down.  We could not have gotten this far without ALL of you.  Community businesses reach out to donate supplies, copies and services.  GARMIN donates brand new Rhino units and more to keep us in contact with eachother and keep us on the right path.  We mobilized the media and found dad's story on the nightly news, in the papers and on the radio.  Communities near and far organized prayer vigils, posted (and continue to post) fliers in their vicinity, paper cranes were made (with a goal of 1,000 in hopes of finding truth in the ancient 1,000 paper cranes tale that if you make 1,000 your wish will come true), hundred's maybe even thousands PRAYED. 

We have had many visitors: family, friends, community members we have never even met before, pastors...even our synod bishop.  All have brought peace and love.  Each day is hectic, every evening is family time.  We have cried, talked, worshiped, planned and prayed together.

Besides our minds going a mile a minute trying to pull together this one-of-a-kind (our first time, ha ha!) grass roots search, all we can do is watch in amazement at the help and love and say Thank you, thank you, thank you...but still no Dad.

Sunday 10/30-It has been a grueling 10 days.  The family goes to church and worships the Creator who knows and sees all.  We trust that He will make a way in all of this.  One of the Reformation texts Psalm 46, has helped us through the begining of this journey "God is our Refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." After church more calls are made, more tips come in, at this point the YCSO is fielding hitch-hiking tips, can dad be out there, outside of Sedona?  We won't say no, and we appreciate any leads...where to look next...that is the question.

Monday 10/31- WE WILL FIND DAD! Today we have been calling all over the place.  We hope that our facebook and blog followers will print the flier and put it up any and everywhere.  Offices, businesses, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, media etc.  We have to get the word out on our own and we need it to spread.  We pray that the "right" person will see the info and have a tip, either about dad, or about how we can further our search.  We need help...we need Prayer...we still need YOU.

This search is ever evolving; it is nowhere near over.  Please help us find our dad...

HORSES ARE HERE

Yesterday afternoon we received a phone call from a lady who lives in a neighboring town.  She had seen our story on the news and wanted to help.  Today she came with three other horsemen to help cover more ground in our specific search area. What a generous and amazing group!  Here are some photos of them heading down the street... Any volunteers to scoop poop? but really we did follow them and scope horse poop through this cute golf side neighborhood.

That crazy storm passed, but it was detrimental in that our hiking group had to call it early.  We are so close! He's out there.....but WHERE?! Give us a clue!

ONE WEEK SINCE JIM WENT MISSING

Today we are Searching the area between the Village of Oak Creek and House Mountain starting where the Search dogs were called off last night at the end of Diamond Sky Road.  It was too dark last evening to continue the search safely and with a wave of emotion we pulled off the scent.  Aggie the Bloodhound was NOT HAPPY that we had to stop "working" and I think NOT HAPPY is an understatement for our feelings for having come this close.
PRAY for us now as the volunteer searchers are hiking in the hills and a torrential downpour has just hit.  And lightning. OUR VOLUNTEER SEARCHERS ARE STRONG AND HOPEFUL THEY WILL FIND JIM.